Foresight
by BoxingBunny
Summary: What would you do if you saw the future of everyone you made eye contact with? It doesn't make forming friendships easy, so just imagine trying to find love. ON HIATUS UNTIL JANUARY 2013
1. Prologue

Quick note about the timeline: Kagome started her journey through the past in 1997 (stated in the anime). I'm stretching her quest time to two years, making it 1999 present time and 1499 in the past. That's all, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YuYu Hakusho. I don't make money from this (as is evident by looking at my checking account) so don't sue me!

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Foresight

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Prologue

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O  
**  
The day was still young, the sun only just reaching its highest point in the bright blue sky. But in Japan, year 1499, in a large field between lush forests, the ground belied the calm cheerfulness that the sky was gracing the rest of the country with.

Where once the field was overrun with tall, soft, swaying grass that rippled on the summer breeze, it was now dark and flat. The green grass was stained with blood, sweat, and tears. Scorch marks and deep crevices marred the once pristine area.

A great battle had begun only moments after daybreak and had been fiercely raging until the body parts of lesser demons meant as a distraction littered the ground and now only the battered and weary bodies of both sides participants remained. Breathing was labored, tensions were high, morale was low, and exhausted minds and bodies were desperate.

_'We have to win,'_ Kagome thought as she glanced around the battlefield while panting. Naraku had absorbed his detachments some time ago not only to gain the extra power but to prevent Kagura from turning against him later on. Kohaku lay unconscious at the edge of the field, moved there by Sango, but he was badly injured and the jewel shard had already been removed from his back. Kagome knew that if something wasn't done soon the boy would die again.

Kagome's group had grown recently and now the original shard hunting group fought alongside The Lord of the West, Sesshoumaru, and the Prince of the Wolf Demon Tribe, Kouga, and several of his wolves. Despite the extra help they were still struggling to hold and gain ground against an incredibly strong Naraku. He was close to having the complete jewel. Only a small chunk was missing from the whole, and it resided around Kagome's neck.

With one more sweeping look over her comrades, Kagome knew that they were in trouble. The demons were winded with several small injuries if they were lucky and her human companions looked on the verge of collapsing. The next few moves would be the determining factors in the battle that had been building up for the past two years.

Kagome closed her eyes tightly for a moment as she thought, _'No…it's not supposed to end like this! We're supposed to win and everyone is supposed to get their happily ever after. Miroku and Sango would have lots of babies, Inuyasha would realize that he's perfect and accepted just the way he is, Shippo would have a safe and steady life in a village where he's loved, Sesshoumaru and Kouga and Inuyasha would all make their peace with one another, and I…I would…'_ As her thoughts trailed off, Kagome opened her eyes slightly but was quickly snapped back to reality by one of two things.

Whether it was Inuyasha's concerned yell as he moved to grab her or the thick tentacle now wrapped around her midsection and dragging her across the field, she wasn't sure. She also wasn't sure what exactly was happening until Naraku kept pulling her to him at top speed and she heard him shout, "I'll have the complete jewel even if I have to take you with it!"

Eyes widening in horror as she saw her legs begin to disappear into the collection of demons known as Naraku, Kagome quickly turned and stretched her hand out in a final, yet futile, effort to be saved by the half-demon she loved so much. She was beginning to hyperventilate when she felt her shoulders being covered, pulling her in deeper. The last thing any of her friends saw or heard was her strangled cry of "Inuya—!!" and her small, pale hand disappearing into Naraku's chest.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

_'Where am I?'_ Kagome's thoughts echoed through her mind. She tried to look around her but due to the darkness she couldn't even tell if her eyes were open or shut. She had a fleeting thought in which she wondered if this was what it felt like to be at the bottom of the ocean. It was dark and she felt an odd, painless pressure seemingly trying to crush her from the inside out. It was hard to breathe and she felt as though if she didn't concentrate on the heartbeat hammering in her ears and chest it would stop. But she wasn't cold like one would be at the bottom of the ocean. Then again, she wasn't hot either. Aside from the invisible pressure, she couldn't feel anything. It was as though her physical body was completely numb. _'Am I dead??'_ She thought in slight panic.

Recalling her last memories she came to a shocking realization. _'Naraku absorbed me…I must be dead! But…does that mean I'm in Heaven? No, this must be Hell. Not exactly what I thought it would be…what did I do to get sent here??'_Just then Kagome realized that her eyes were indeed open because a tiny pinprick of light became visible in the distance. _'Is that the proverbial "Light at the End of the Tunnel"?'_ She wondered. She had no idea if she was actually moving or if the light was coming closer to her, but either way it was becoming larger.

As the light slowly moved to engulf her, Kagome noticed that she was still dressed in her school uniform. _'Thank the gods or small favors. But I always pictured everyone in white robes or something.'_ When the light was finally completely surrounding her, she had to close her eyes and then slowly open them to adjust to the brightness. "What in the world?" She voiced aloud this time.

Kagome suddenly found herself in a large field with tall, swaying grass. The sky above was a very dull blue-grey and there was a single dying tree visible. There was a large cliff-face jutting out of the otherwise level area and she could make out a few more dying trees at the top. "I've been here before," she mumbled.

Looking towards the bottom of the cliff, she noticed the small entrance to a dark cave. It was the entrance to the cave where the thief Onigumo became the half-demon Naraku. A shudder overcame her form as she felt a tug towards the cursed place. And as much as her brain and every survival instinct she had screamed out for her to avoid it, her feet began to carry her in the cave's direction.

As Kagome peered inside she realized that it was too dark from her current vantage point, but she really didn't want to venture in any further. Then suddenly, as if the landscape made up her mind for her, the ground lurched forward and she tumbled down the small incline leading into the cave. Wondering what happened for a moment, she spoke aloud, "That's right…I'm in some kind of world created by Naraku. I guess he can control what happens here."

While it was still dark in the cave, Kagome's eyes quickly adjusted and she could see the shadowed details of the walls and ceiling. Allowing her eyes to continue to search the area, she finally let them settle on the form of what appeared to be a man wrapped in bandages resting on a straw mat. "Onigumo…" The strangled whisper escaped her throat as it constricted in a mixture of fear and apprehension.

But the last thing she expected was a response. A deep, raspy chuckle echoed through the small area before an equally rough voice followed, "That's right, girl. Come closer to me."

Frozen in hesitation for a moment, Kagome finally decided to venture forward after remembering that the thief was burned so badly that he could no longer move in his human body. She knelt down by his side, much the way she imagined that Kikyo would have done all those decades ago. "Where am I?" She asked him.

"You are in my cave." He responded quietly. His eyes remained closed and he had yet to look at her. He was completely still and if he hadn't spoken she would have assumed that he was asleep.

"Why am I here? Did you bring me here or was it Naraku?" She continued to question him.

This time his eyes opened to look at her. His eyes reminded Kagome of chocolate that had been left in the freezer for far too long. They were a deep brown but seemed cold, hard, and unpleasant to keep contact with. "You are here because I brought you here to complete it."

"Complete what?" She couldn't help but ask.

Suddenly, and much to Kagome's surprise, the prone figure of Onigumo began to rise into a sitting position. Propping himself up with one hand, he used the other hand to begin tugging and tearing the bandages away from his face. What was revealed to her was a man with a very handsome face. His skin was lightly tanned and accented by dark, shaggy hair that framed his face. He had a strong jaw line with high cheek bones and a straight, sharp nose that rested above two full lips that were quirked in a smirk aimed in her direction. Raising the hand that had torn away his bandages, he revealed a completed jewel shining a dark purple color as it was tainted with malice and greed. "To complete this jewel that will give me what I desire. Isn't it beautiful like this?"

Kagome's eyes widened as her hand flew to the spot where her piece of the jewel had rested at the hollow of her throat. It was gone. She could feel her heart beat faster as her mind reeled at what this could mean. _'What do I do?! Inuyasha isn't here to help me this time. He's just one guy…maybe I can just tackle him and take it??'_ But her thoughts were cut short as the man before her continued.

"With this I'm going to get a physical body again; a strong one…one of a demon. A body like that silver-haired dog she fell in love with. Then Kikyo will be mine and all of this silly fighting can end."

Kagome could only quirk her head to the side at his statement. But before she could ask him about it there was a deep, feral growl that came from the back of the cave. Whipping her head towards the sound, Kagome had to choke back a scream at seeing the shadowed figure of a large spider with glowing red eyes and white, gleaming fangs dripping a purple toxin that melted the ground it fell on.

Quickly turning back to Onigumo, she shouted as panic began to overtake her. "Do you see that thing?! That's your demon side! That's what you already gave your body to fifty years ago! It's always going to be here and it wants Kikyo dead! That thing can't win. You have to give me the jewel now so I can purify it and kill that thing! This part of you is still human. You can still be saved!"

Onigumo turned to look at the monster with a look of fear and confusion as though he was just seeing it for was it was for the very first time. But before anything else could be said, a deafening shriek of a roar came from the large spider demon as it began to charge forward. Hoping that since he could sit up he would be able to run, Kagome grabbed Onigumo by the hand and pulled him along as she darted for the cave entrance screaming, "Run!!"

They cleared the entrance together and made it a few feet from the cave before a large explosion made the ground tremble and flung the two humans several yards from the cave and each other. Kagome looked up to see the monster of a spider emerging from its newly made exit that allowed enough room for its size. It looked between her and Onigumo for a moment before charging after the male.

Kagome watched in horror as the terrified man tried to run but was soon knocked to the ground by his demonic side. But it was all she could do not to wretch as the spider sank its fangs deep into Onigumo's body to, she assumed, pump in some of its toxic poison. Tears stung her eyes as she watched his body begin to convulse violently before dissolving into a steaming puddle of slime.

The demon locked its piercing red eyes on her as what she thought would be its version of a smile graced its mouth. A long tongue snaked its way between pointed teeth and began to lap at the remains of its prey like a kitten would lap at cream.

"Oh god…" was the only thing that Kagome's mind could process as a response to what she had just witnessed. It may have been a more animalistic form, but there was now no doubt in her mind that this _thing_ was the true Naraku. _'I have to kill him now before he gets the jewel…the jewel…where's the jewel?!'_ She thought as she remembered that Onigumo had it before they had run.

Concentrating on the jewel's energy, she spotted it several yards from herself and Naraku. If she took a running start and caught him by surprise she might just be able to reach it first…maybe. Locking eyes with Naraku once again and taking a deep breath, Kagome suddenly shoved herself off the ground and broke into a dead run to make it before Naraku realized what was going on.

Unfortunately his size and leg length gave him the edge and he reached it just in time to wrap his long tongue around the small sphere before she could reach it. But in a split second decision, knowing that it was probably suicide, Kagome turned sharply and ran straight for Naraku himself. _'I have to keep him from eating it. If it goes in his body it's all over,'_ she thought as she continued to run.

Apparently Naraku hadn't expected her to make this choice either and as she drew closer to his face where the jewel still rested wrapped in his tongue, he froze in shock. He only realized her intent when she got within a mere foot and reached out her hand to wrap her fingers around the section of his tongue that held the jewel.

Being too late for either to react to the unexpected, Kagome felt the jewel begin to purify from what skin contact she had with it only to have her eyes widen when she realized that Naraku's contact was keeping part of it tainted. Both looked at each other in shock before the two powerful and conflicting auras surrounding the jewel caused a clash that resulted in a large explosion blowing both parties away from each other.

The bright light that engulfed Kagome's vision, stinging and burning her eyes, was accompanied by flashes of the creation of the jewel and the destruction it had caused over the course of its existence. But when Kagome felt herself wrapped in a comforting and warm presence she heard a gentle voice laced with conviction say, "Your power will help me banish this evil for all time."

Then as soon as the voice died away, Kagome felt a heat pool in her chest and gradually spread through the rest of her body. But what began as a soft heat like one would feel in a relaxing bath soon grew and intensified into what felt like liquid fire pumping through her veins. Her breath began to come quicker and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes which were clenched tightly shut. After what seemed like an eternity of being burned alive from the inside out, all of the heat and pressure she'd felt gathered into a single spot in her chest before it burst forth, wrenching a scream from her throat, and caused a white hot explosion of pure energy that she both saw and felt even from behind closed eyelids.

When things quieted down again, Kagome was left in the dark again. She still wondered if her eyes were open or shut and it felt like she was floating. But before all conscious thought left her, Kagome felt something solid meet her back and heard the same gentle voice from before whisper in her ear, "Thank you, child. Now we can both rest."

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

On the outside of Naraku's body, the jewel hunters and their allies felt their hearts plummet at the disappearance of Kagome and the last piece of the jewel. The future suddenly seemed very grim as they watched Naraku's smirk grow before he began to laugh at finally appearing to have won.

He seemed like he was about to say something, probably gloat his imminent victory, but the evil half-demon suddenly froze in place. His enemies watched on warily as his face took on a look of frustration before fading to confusion and finally landing on something akin to horror or panic. He opened his mouth and got out only a moment's worth of what would have been a gut-wrenching and tortured scream before a white light burst from his body causing everyone to take several steps back and shield their eyes.

When they turned back after all fell silent, they were speechless at the sight before them. Lying in the place of where the demon Naraku had previously stood was a very pale and unconscious Kagome in a pile of fine dust that all assumed was all that remained of the nemesis they'd sought after for so long.

Quickly recovering from shock, Inuyasha rushed towards the girl followed by Sango, Miroku, and Kouga. Inuyasha scooped her limp form into his arms and gently tapped her cheek several times as he called out for her to wake up. But seeing their friend remain asleep, all decided that they needed to return to the village as quickly as possible.

Kouga was the first to arrive with Kagome in his arms after Inuyasha had relinquished his hold knowing that the wolf would arrive the before the rest. The rest of Kagome's surrogate family arrived to see Kouga pacing in frustration outside of Kaede's hut. A quietly sobbing Shippo sat against the wall and immediately jumped into Sango's arms when he saw her.

Inuyasha turned on his long-time rival and demanded, "What the hell is going on?! Where's Kagome??"

Kouga turned to glare at Inuyasha before he bellowed in return, "Don't make it sound like I lost her or something, Mutt-Face! She's still out cold in the hut with the old woman. The hag kicked me out!"

Sango let out an exasperated sigh at both males before handing Shippo off to Miroku and saying, "I'm going to go see if I can help Kaede with anything. If I can find out anything about how Kagome's doing, I'll come back and let you know." She then pushed her way past the woven flap at the entrance of the old woman's home and left the men standing around in silence.

About an hour passed and the men had moved to sit against the walls of the hut quietly, each consumed with their own thoughts. The only thing said had been voiced by Miroku when he finally checked his cursed hand and saw that only a scar in the shape of a rough circle remained. He'd then said in a quiet voice, "It's really over."

Sesshoumaru quietly arrived on his cloud of demon energy with the sleeping form of Sango's brother, Kohaku. The child seemed alive and well and was merely taking a nap. When the great demon lord moved to lay the child with the sleeping forms of Rin, Shippo, and Jaken who were being protected by Ah-Un and Kirara, Inuyasha lifted a questioning brow at his brother's behavior. Sesshoumaru merely returned the gesture before saying, "Rin has grown attached to the boy."

Inuyasha scoffed and all fell silent once more as a few more minutes passed before Sango finally emerged from the hut. Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kouga were immediately on their feet and crowding around the brunette woman. All questions of concern directed towards her were silenced when she brought one hand up in a gesture for them to be quiet. "Kagome is fine for now, but she still hasn't woken up. She had a few minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises as well as a few places that looked like burn marks on her chest, but those will heal. The only thing we're concerned about right now is the high fever she has. She shouldn't be moved much right now, but Kaede and I both think it would be best for Inuyasha to take her home if it doesn't go down in a day or two."

Sango smiled as she saw the tension leave all three men's bodies. When she felt a hand rest on her shoulder she looked into the eyes of Miroku as he smiled and pointed towards the sleeping children. Tears instantly sprang to Sango's eyes when she saw her brother resting peacefully. When she turned back to Miroku to see him pointing towards Sesshoumaru, she took a few steps forward to stand before the tall dog demon before she bowed deeply saying, "Thank you so much, Lord Sesshoumaru. You have no idea how grateful I am or how much this means to me."

Retaining the calmness he was renowned for, Sesshoumaru simply glanced at the woman before him before saying, "I did not bring the boy back for you. I gave him life for Rin." Then he turned and walked towards the forest to rest at the base of a tree.

Four days passed quickly and Kagome's fever had broken on the second morning but she still hadn't awoken. Everyone was around the village doing various jobs. Sango was doing laundry, Kaede was tending to her herb garden with Miroku's help, and Inuyasha and Kouga helped with some of the manual labor jobs. Sesshoumaru remained near the forest's edge while Jaken stayed in the village to keep an eye on Rin. Rin, Shippo, and Kohaku were currently inside Kaede's hut coloring and looking for any sign that Kagome was waking up.

While Rin was leaning over Kohaku's shoulder to see what he was drawing and causing him to blush, Shippo walked over to Kagome's side to gently lay a small hand on her cheek. She had saved him several times, protected him from Inuyasha, let him travel with her, and treated him like a son. He loved Kagome and it hurt him to see her like this. With a soft sigh, he decided to lay with her for a few minutes, resting his head on her chest. After several minutes Rin and Kohaku asked if he wanted to come play tag with them he nodded thinking that he would come to check on Kagome later.

He didn't know that if he had waited just another moment he would have heard an increase in the young woman's heart rate.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Things were quiet. Kagome could hear birds singing and children playing, but things were muffled where she was. Slowly sitting up, she tried to open her eyes to see where she was. _'Is my face bandaged?'_ She wondered.

Gently lifting a hand to touch her face and eyes, Kagome began to panic when she tried to blink and felt her eyelashes ghost across her fingertips but saw that she remained in a world of darkness. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before placing her hand on the ground and feeling wood. _'Okay…I'm indoors,'_ she thought. Taking a deep breath, Kagome could smell the clean air that she associated with the past. _'I'm still on the other side of the well…I must be in Kaede's hut. Nobody has come to talk to me yet so they're either asleep or I'm alone.'_Gathering what little information about the situation that she could, Kagome pushed away the sheet that was covering her and scooted back until she felt a wall. She slowly stood on shaky legs and began to feel her way towards the door to step outside. Moving past the straw door cover, Kagome could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin but everything was still completely black to her eyes. So she did the only thing that she could think to do. "Inuyasha!!"

It didn't take long to get a response. Before she knew it she was surrounded by people. Voices rang out around her all at once and she felt dizzy trying to determine who was there and where they were. "Be quiet!" She yelled, trying to gather her bearings once again. "Inuyasha…Inuyasha, where are you??"

"I'm right in front of you, idiot. Open your eyes! What the hell's wrong with you?" She heard him reply.

She didn't even realize that she had closed her eyes. Touching her face once more and feeling her eyes open, Kagome reached out and felt her fingers come in contact with what she recognized as the rough fabric of Inuyasha's clothing. She fisted her small hands into his sleeves and positioned herself where she knew she would meet his face. She felt a sharp tug almost as if he had taken a quick step back away from her.

"Kagome, your eyes…"

"Inuyasha…I can't see. I'm blind!"

Inuyasha fell into silence, as did the rest of her friends, as he stared not into the dark blue, cheerful eyes that he was used to, but into light, crystal blue eyes brimming with unshed tears.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

**AN:** So this is the latest project I've decided to work on in complete anonymity. I can't help but wonder if some of my readers from my other name will find this. So this is just the prologue, we'll be jumping into the real story next. When I picture the light blue eyes she has now, I think along the lines of that light blue Husky's usually have. As you know, this story will be IY/YYH but I have no idea what I'm going to do for a pairing yet. I'm open to suggestions if there's anything in particular you would want to see. Hope you enjoyed! Until next time!


	2. Chapter 1

Quick Note: Yes, I changed the name of the story. I thought it fit better. I wasn't very happy with the first one.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YuYu Hakusho. I don't make money from this (as is evident by looking at my checking account) so don't sue me!

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Foresight

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Chapter 1

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Four men could be seen walking through a park in the city of Tokyo. At first glance one would think that they didn't care for each other much; two of the men seemed ready to beat each other to a pulp, another was acting the part of a frustrated peace-maker, and the last seemed to just quietly regard the others with complete contempt. But that was only what one would see at first glance.

Looking closer, anyone who had developed close friendships that had spanned several years would have seen the tell-tale signs that these men cared for each other. A fight would have really been a friendly scuffle as young boys sometimes do (or in this case men who weren't quite ready to grow up), their mediator was less frustrated and more simply wondering if and when his comrades would ever mature, and the last…well he still seemed to hold a bit of contempt for the rowdy group, but the small beginnings of a smirk told that he had been tolerating similar events for quite some time.

Yusuke had called his old teammates a couple of days prior to arrange one of their annual "Man Days" so that they could catch up on each other's lives and just generally keep in touch and goof around. Kuwabara and Kurama had been happy to comply, but Hiei needed his usual bribing to bring him this far into the city. And this was what brought them to this particular park after their lunch.

This park contained Hiei's favorite ice cream vendor. And his friends were paying.

It had been several years since they had stopped their Spirit Detective work. With the exception of Hiei, they were all in their mid-twenties. They weren't sure of their quiet partner's age, but his appearance lead people to believe he was around twenty-four despite his shorter-than-average stature. He tried to avoid large crowds and spent much of his time either training at Genkai's temple and watching over his sister or guarding the borders between the human and demon realms.

His closest friend, Kurama, had opened a chain of florist shops that were doing quite well. With slightly _enhanced_ flowers, bouquets from his shops stayed alive and beautiful for a much longer period of time. Kuwabara had become a physical trainer a couple of years back, and even though his friends hadn't seen it coming, everyone agreed that the profession fit him well. But the biggest surprise came from Yusuke.

The juvenile delinquent had apparently liked his work so much as a Spirit Detective that he had joined the police force. Stopping human thieves wasn't nearly as exciting as battling demons for the safety of the world, but it usually kept him on his toes and allowed him to settle down with Keiko. He hadn't married the elementary school teacher yet, but they were saving their money so that she could have her dream wedding and that was fine with him.

But it was days like this that they put all of their usual duties aside and reminisced on past adventures and how they did indeed miss the action of the old days from time to time.

Yusuke looked up questioningly at his carrot-top friend when he felt an elbow nudge his shoulder and was answered with a nod towards something in front of them on their path. When Yusuke saw what Kuwabara was referring to, he simply shook his head and laughed at his friend's girl-crazy brain. He had to admit that the taller man had good taste in women even if he had never really grasped the proper way to ask them on a date.

Wondering what he suddenly seemed out of the loop about, Kurama turned his gaze in the direction that his friends were looking. Approaching them on the shaded pathway through the lush park was a woman who looked to be around twenty-two or twenty-three. She had fair, smooth skin that shone in the sunlight that broke through the canopy of leaves. Her hair was a dark and glossy ebony that swayed as she walked and was just grazing her hips. Her light denim shorts showed off long, toned legs while a simple black t-shirt accented a trim waist and overall curvaceous figure. She wasn't a tall woman. She probably just topped a couple of inches over five feet. Dark sunglasses covered her eyes and she appeared to be taking her dog for a walk on the warm summer day.

With his attention now on the animal, Kurama could see that he was just as impressive as his owner. He almost looked like a very large, white German Shepherd with golden eyes, but there were certain features about him that weren't right; a mutt possibly? His tags jingled from his collar as he walked along with a positively bored look. The impression of his boredom was only further pronounced to Kurama when he opened his jaws wide and flattened his ears in a large yawn that showcased his gleaming canines before he snapped his mouth shut once more.

Yusuke began laughing at both of his red-headed friends this time as he said, "You two might want to reel it in before she notices you ogling her."

"That shouldn't be a problem, Detective," Hiei said in his normally cool tone.

"Come again? Last time I checked, that's what got us of the male species either slapped or bitched at."

Hiei held back the urge to roll his eyes at his ex-teammates comment. "Look at her again. She wouldn't know it if you made the most obscene gestures your brain could come up with."

With that, all three of the other men turned their attention back to the woman they'd been admiring and noticed one detail that they had managed to overlook. It wasn't a leash that she led the dog with, but it was a harness and bar that the dog led her with. "She's blind?" Kuwabara questioned. He suddenly felt slightly guilty for checking her out a moment ago.

After Kuwabara's comment, a slightly awkward silence fell upon the group as they drew nearer to the woman. In the moment that they walked by each other, Hiei flicked his eyes over to glance at the woman and noticed something that gave him pause. Her eyes were downcast as though she were watching the ground. Stopping in his tracks, Hiei watched her for a few more feet as she got further away. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw her easily step over a fallen branch that the dog had not alerted her to or guided her around.

_'Fox,'_ Hiei addressed Kurama through their mental link. _'That girl isn't blind.'_

Kurama turned to face his friend as Yusuke and Kuwabara watched in quiet question, knowing that the two were conversing silently between themselves. _'What are you talking about, Hiei? Who would pretend that they were blind?'_

Hiei grunted when he realized that he couldn't answer that. _'I don't know. But I just saw her avoid something on her own that she shouldn't have been able to see.'_

_'Maybe you were mistaken? Come on, we're almost to the ice cream stand.'_ Kurama couldn't help the small smile that made itself visible as Hiei immediately dismissed the girl and brushed past him and the two others as though he hadn't been the one to cause their impromptu stop.

"Kurama?" Yusuke asked. He was curious as to why the young woman had gotten his normally cold friend's attention.

"It's nothing to worry about, Yusuke. Hiei simply thought he saw something," the red head answered his friend.

With his pride getting the better of him, Hiei casually said over his shoulder, "I don't _think_ I saw anything, Kurama. I know what I saw."

"Well what did you see??" Kuwabara questioned.

Hiei glared at the taller man for a moment and was about to answer when the attention of all four men was drawn back the way they had just come at the sound of a shriek. They saw the young woman crumpled to the ground, shaking her head and trying to wave off the help of a runner who apparently had just run into her. Her dog was by her side growling dangerously at the man, and hastening the runner's decision to leave her alone.

Kuwabara, being ever the gentleman, strode towards the woman after the runner left her to make sure that she was really okay. When he got closer he could see that she had one arm wrapped around her dog's shoulders and appeared to be crying. "Miss, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Suddenly, as if his voice had brought her back to reality, Kuwabara saw the girl whirl around and try to stand up to call after the man that had just run into her. "Sir," but she was stopped when she fell to the ground again. She looked to her leg and saw a large gash caused by a rock that had been in the path.

"Urameshi, stop that guy!" Kuwabara called out to his friend as he knelt down to help the bleeding girl.

Yusuke chased after the man who was now several yards away and couldn't hear him due to the earphones that he was wearing. Just as he was about to cross the street after exiting the park, Yusuke caught up to him and pulled back sharply on his shoulder to get his attention. But much to everyone's surprise, the runner stumbled backwards just in time to avoid being hit by the large truck that had been speeding down the road.

All of the men exchanged confused glances for a moment until Kuwabara heard the girl breath out, "Oh good…you can let him go now," as she placed a relieved hand against her chest. Hearing this, Kuwabara waved for Yusuke to forget about it and helped the beautiful woman limp over to a nearby bench. He vaguely noticed that she hadn't looked him in the face once.

When she was seated, she immediately covered her eyes with one hand as she heard more footsteps coming towards her. "Could you hand me my glasses, please?" She requested in a quiet voice. But before he could comply, he watched her guide dog gently carry her glasses to her between his teeth before placing them in her lap. "Good boy. Thank you, Shiro."

Yusuke watched as she pushed the dark glasses back in place before he said, "That's a pretty impressive dog. Where'd you get him?"

The first response he received was a warning growl before the girl said, "Stop that, Shiro. Be nice. And thank you, sir. He's a good dog even if he's a little over protective sometimes. And as for where I got him, he's one of a kind. A friend of mine is sort of a breeder and he trained him for me." All of the ex-Spirit Detectives were caught off guard by the radiant smile that she gave them, even if all of them didn't show it outwardly. "My name's Kagome, by the way," she introduced herself as she extended a hand for anyone willing to take it.

Kurama stepped forward and gently grasped the offered appendage and shook it once before turning the hand over and placing a kiss on her knuckles. "My name is Kurama, Miss Kagome. My friends are Kuwabara who came to your aid a moment ago and is to your right, Yusuke who inquired about your dog and is to your left, and Hiei is further behind us. He's a bit withdrawn around new people."

Blushing prettily, Kagome responded, "It's nice to meet all of you. But if my leg looks like it feels, I think I should probably get home and take care of it. Think you can help me, Shiro?" Not expecting any kind of reply from her companion, Kagome tried to stand once more only to let out a hiss of pain before stumbling back down to a sitting position. "Well this is just great!" She exclaimed to nobody in particular. Leaning back into the bench, Kagome allowed her head to tip skyward and pushed her glasses up into her hair to rub her tired eyes. "I don't want to have to call anyone…he's going to yell at me if he has to come get me again."

Hearing this, Yusuke scoffed. "Your boyfriend sounds like a jerk if he'd yell at you because you needed his help when you were hurt."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the disgruntled tone he used in his voice as she placed her sunglasses back over her closed eyes. "I never said the guy I was talking about was my boyfriend. He's just an old acquaintance who lets me live with him," she explained as she pulled a cell phone from her front pocket and flipped it open.

She was about to press Sesshoumaru's speed-dial button when she felt the small device disappear from her grasp. "Here, we'll call you a cab so you won't get in trouble," Yusuke offered.

Looking sheepish, Kagome rubbed her arm and said, "I didn't bring any money."

"You guys got money for a cab?" Yusuke questioned his friends. They'd only planned on lunch so he frowned at the negative response he received. "Well damn…where do you live? Maybe we can help you walk there."

"I only live a few of blocks away, but I don't want to be any trouble. You've done more than enough…"

Kagome continued to argue back and forth with Yusuke and Kuwabara about accepting their help for several minutes, but while their light bickering was taking place there was another conversation that only two individuals were privy to. _'Something isn't right about that dog, Kurama,'_ Hiei said. '_It's not pure, but it had demon blood. A human shouldn't have something like that. And have you noticed that it hasn't taken its eyes off of either of us?'_

Kurama continued to study the animal that had placed suspicion into his and Hiei's minds as he answered, _'I have noticed as well. What do you suppose it's doing with such a young human woman? It doesn't seem to have the kindest personality from what I've seen.'_

Thinking about the question for a moment, Hiei answered, _'She said that a friend bred and trained it. It could have been assigned to specifically look after her.'_

_'That could very well be the case,'_ Kurama agreed. _'But who is this girl that she knows someone who can breed something like that? And why would she need such protection?'_

_'Hn…maybe we should try to get in touch with Koenma. Only another demon could train something like that and command it in such a way. That means something is going on in the Human World and Spirit World doesn't have a clue, as usual.'_

Returning their attention back to the argument at hand, it appeared that the boys had won as Yusuke was helping Kagome to stand by wrapping her arm around his shoulder and his arm around her waist. "Alright, so which way to your place?" Yusuke asked with a victorious grin.

Kagome merely shook her head with a small grin and called to her dog, "Shiro, let Mr. Kuwabara hold your harness and you can lead the way."

"Hey, don't call me "Mister," alright?" Kuwabara told her lightly. "It makes me sound old. I'm only twenty-five."

Kagome laughed as she responded, "Fair enough, but that means that you can't call me "Miss" either. Just plain "Kagome" is fine."

And so the five of them made quite a sight walking down the sidewalks of Tokyo with one man helping an injured woman limp along, one very large man being led by and equally large dog, and two abnormally handsome men bringing up the rear. It was quiet for the first block or so until Kuwabara once again broke the silence. He had questions that he just couldn't keep to himself anymore. "Those are cool sunglasses; where do blind people get there sunglasses? Were you born blind or were you in an accident? What—?" was all he managed to get out before Yusuke let go of Kagome's waist for a moment, causing her to falter for a step or two, to reach over and hit his friend in the back of the head.

"You idiot!" He yelled. "You don't just ask people stuff like that! What were you thinking?! If you want me to hit him some more, Kagome, just say the word. Kuwabara doesn't always think before he opens his big mouth."

Kagome found herself laughing again. She didn't remember laughing this much in one day in a very long time. There was something about the men around her that made her feel at ease. _'It's almost like being back in the past again,'_ she mused to herself before saying, "Don't worry about it, Yusuke. You guys remind me of a couple of my friends. And to answer your questions Kuwabara, these are just some regular sunglasses that I picked up. I just painted the lenses black so that they completely covered my eyes. I have no idea where other blind people get their glasses. As for being blind, I guess you could say it happened in an accident. I definitely wasn't born this way." She giggled lightly when she saw Kuwabara stick his tongue out at Yusuke from the corner of her eyes.

"You said you painted your glasses? Can I see them?" Kuwabara asked.

Closing her eyes, Kagome lifted the small frames from her face and handed them to the tall man.

"So how much farther do you think your house is? I didn't even know that there were houses in this part of town," Yusuke observed.

"Well I don't exactly live in a house," Kagome explained.

Lifting an eyebrow in silent question, Yusuke voiced, "So then where do you live?"

Lifting her face to the sky for the second time that day, Kagome opened her eyes and looked at the tall buildings towering around them. "I live there," she said as she pointed to a tall building with a tinted glass front before closing her eyes once more.

Yusuke and Kuwabara, as well as Kurama and Hiei this time, looked on in shock and surprise as they looked up at the towering hotel across the street from where they were walking. "How the hell can you live there?!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"The guy I sort of live with, Sesshoumaru, is what you would call a "hotel tycoon," I guess. He owns several more buildings like this one. But he lets me live on one of the upper floors of this particular building," she said with a smile. "He stays in this building from time to time, but he does have an actual home—a penthouse across town."

"And he just lets you live here, free of charge?" Kuwabara asked in quiet awe.

"Hmm? Oh, no! He's not that nice!" Kagome joked. "He paid for me to go to business school and he made me manager of the building. Now I pretty much run things here for him with another friend's help while Sesshoumaru does business elsewhere in the country and around the world."

"Uh huh…" Came Yusuke and Kuwabara's response in unison.

"I'll have to think of a way to repay you guys for helping me," Kagome offered as they entered the large building's main floor. As soon as the other employee's saw Kagome's physical condition, muffled orders of "Find Mr. Yamata!" could be heard as several desk clerks and bellhops scattered.

"You don't have to do that, Kagome," Yusuke assured.

"And you didn't have to help me home, but you did anyway," Kagome countered as she moved to stand balanced with most of her weight on one leg in front of the men who had helped her that day. "Why not come back here for dinner tonight? The hotel has a couple of great restaurants that are all top-notch, I promise! You're more than welcome to bring guests, of course," she offered with a bright smile, her eyes still closed. "Oh, do you mind if I have my sunglasses back now, Kuwabara?"

"Sure, sorry about that," he answered bashfully as he placed the forgotten glasses back in her outstretched hand.

"Well then," she said as she pushed the dark lenses back in place and put her hands on her hips. "I expect to see you back here tonight—all four of you—plus some guests. I can't take "no" for an answer after all that you've done for me. Everything is on me, so just clean up nice and we'll all have a good time getting to know each other better. It's good to make new friends. It can get a little lonely here from time to time."

Kuwabara was about to ask what she meant but didn't get a chance to as a new, loud voice echoed through the large lobby.

"Kagome!" A man looking to be around twenty-five or twenty-six bellowed. "What the hell happened to you?! Who are they??"

"Calm down, Shippo," Kagome tried to calm the man down with a nervous laugh. "I fell down in the park and these guys helped me get home, so be nice to them! I've invited them to come back for dinner tonight as a way to say thank you."

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei all went on high-alert and felt their muscles tense as they took in the man who had now turned to seemingly size them up. It was obvious that he had been exercising when a hotel employee had gotten him. He was in loose, black sweatpants and a red muscle shirt. His muscles we just as well defined as Yusuke's and he stood an inch or two taller than Kuwabara. He had short, wild auburn hair that was set off by his lightly bronzed skin. But what unnerved them the most were his piercing teal-green eyes. They weren't a natural color that any human would have, and the fact that his aura practically screamed danger right now wasn't helping his case.

They were almost positive that they were staring at a fairly powerful demon that was standing right in the middle of a very nice hotel in downtown Tokyo. But they were also almost sure that he could tell what they were as well.

As the staring contest ended, Shippo turned to face them fully and pasted on the best businessman attitude that he could, considering that he was still sweat-soaked from his work-out. "I am Shippo Yamata, co-manager of this hotel. I appreciate you helping my friend and partner; you have my thanks," his voice had smoothed into a deep, rumbling timbre as he addressed them. "If one of you would please leave your contact information at the front desk to your right, one of us will contact you within the next hour or two. I feel that I must speak with Miss Higurashi in private. Excuse us," he said as he dropped his professional air once more and picked Kagome up bridal-style and walked towards the nearest elevator. Once inside, Shippo whistled for Shiro to join them and the dog ran and cleared the elevator doors just in time.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were left scratching the backs of their heads as they looked at their more demonic teammates. "Well this isn't how I pictured the day going," Yusuke said as he walked to the front desk to give them his name and cell phone number.

When he joined the rest of his group outside of the hotel, they looked at each other in silence for a moment, each unsure of what to say or do. "So," Kuwabara began, "what just happened?"

Kurama was about to recap the situation, but Yusuke beat him to the punch. "We met a hot, blind chick in the park that hurt herself. Then we helped her back to her house, which is actually a big-ass hotel, and found out that she isn't so blind after all since she can see to paint her sunglasses and point out the building she lives in. Then we got sized up and brushed off by some demonic big-brother, partner guy. Now it looks like we're coming back here for dinner with the girls. Is that about right, Kurama?"

"That covers most of it. But I believe Hiei and I are going to try to get in touch with Koenma and see if he knows anything about this. You have my phone number for when Mr. Yamata or Miss Kagome calls you, Yusuke, so please keep in touch. If we find Botan, am I correct to assume to invite her along for supper as well?"

"Yeah, why not? Kagome pretty much said "the more the merrier," right?" Yusuke asked in return.

"Yes, well I'll talk to you later then. Let's go, Hiei."

That said, all men went their separate ways, but not before giving the large building one more glance and a thought of, _'What's going to happen tonight?'_

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

**AN:** Well then! I hope everyone enjoyed. I think I'm going to have fun with this story. I want to thank my very first reviewer for this story: **foxgodess07**! Thanks! I'm glad you liked how I ended the battle. Hopefully you liked this chapter as well! I'm going to say that this will be a Hiei/Kag story for now, but it may shift towards Kur/Kag in the future. If that happens I'll change the pairing category on the site.

And if any of you are into Naruto fanfiction, I've recently started doing some beta work for **TheRoseandtheDagger**. Her stories are awesome! I particularly love her "Unexpected" series. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time you're reading. So check her out!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YuYu Hakusho. I don't make money from this (as is evident by looking at my checking account) so don't sue me!

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Foresight

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Chapter 2

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Hiei was quietly lounging on the window sill in Kurama's bedroom as his partner sorted through the large box that contained what they were looking for. "Ah, here it is!" Kurama said with a small smile as he held up one of the communicators from their days as a team. "I hope this still works. It would certainly be the easiest way to reach him," Kurama mumbled before flipping the small device open and pressing the button that normally issued a call to Koenma's office.

It took several moments, but when the familiar blue-haired reaper appeared on the small screen, they knew that it had worked. "Well this is certainly a pleasant surprise!" She called out to them. "How are things in the Human World? Did something happen?" Botan asked as her mind immediately trailed towards the worst case scenarios.

"No, Botan, nothing big has happened yet. There was an odd occurrence today and Hiei and I just wanted to check in on what it could mean. Is Koenma available by any chance?"

Shaking her head the negative, Botan answered, "Sorry, but he's in a meeting right now. You can run the details by me and I'll be sure he gets them." Hiei wanted to cringe at how her voice was just as cheerful as it had been those years ago.

"Well," Kurama began as he thought over the day's events. "The four of us were in the park when we encountered a young woman. She appeared to be blind, but later actions revealed that it was most likely an act. The first oddity was her guide dog. Hiei and I distinctly felt a small demonic presence coming from it. After we helped the girl home, an associate of hers introduced himself as a Mr. Shippo Yamata. He was fully demon. He also appears to help her run a large hotel here in the city. He mentioned that her full name was Kagome Higurashi. There was also mention of a man called Sesshoumaru, no last name given, but we didn't meet him today. It also seems that we'll be having dinner with Kagome this evening. You are invited as well."

Hiei quirked an eyebrow at seeing how the reaper-woman seemed to lose some of the color to her face as Kurama finished. "I'll see what I can find out," Botan rushed. "But I do have a lot of work to get done before Koenma returns, so I'll just see you boys later tonight! Bye!" And with that, the call was abruptly cut off.

To say that Kurama was surprised with Botan's sudden outburst would be an understatement. He knew that she could be impulsive at times, but she had seemed almost fretful in her rushed excuse.

Looking over to the apparition that stood quietly by his side, Kurama let out an uncharacteristic sharp sigh that showed his frustration with how things were unfolding. Only more questions seemed to be presenting themselves as the answers remained elusive. "I suppose we'll just have to wait until this evening then," he resigned before leaving the room.

It didn't surprise him when he felt Hiei's presence suddenly vanish. He only wished that the fire demon would learn to enjoy the subtle entrances and exits that one could make through a door as opposed to a window.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Botan had just placed the small communicator back in the drawer of her boss's desk when the prince of the Spirit World came casually strolling through the doors to his office. "Koenma, Sir!" She called as she rushed to his side and followed him back to his desk. "We may have a bit of a problem in the Human World…" she trailed off.

The calm raise of a thin brow was her only cue to continue.

"I just spoke with Kurama, Sir. Apparently he and the rest of the boys ran into someone at the park today…they're asking questions." Botan was nervous. She wasn't sure how the demi-god would react to what she had to say, but she had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't be good.

"Really? And who would that be?" Koenma asked in an attempt to prod her along. His day had been going fairly well so far. There hadn't been the usual mountains of paperwork and things in all three worlds seemed to be peaceful for the moment.

"Well…they met Shippo Yamata after meeting Kagome Higurashi in a local park." She closed her eyes after she finished. After all, it was only a matter of time before what she said sank in and her boss went off the deep end.

Eyes suddenly growing wide, Koenma had to blink a couple of times before he could come up with an appropriate response. "What?!" he yelled. "No! Tell Yusuke that he is NOT, I repeat, NOT under any circumstances to continue association with her! That group attracts enough trouble on their own. If they bring that trouble her way and it gets back to Sesshoumaru—Sesshoumaru! You mentioned Shippo, but they haven't met Sesshoumaru yet, right?!"

"Correct, Sir. Kurama said that he had been mentioned but wasn't present. From the sounds of it, Kagome invited them out to dinner tonight. Kurama invited me along as well. Should I stop them from going?"

Koenma mulled the situation over in his head for a moment before answering, "No, I doubt that it will be a problem. You know how protective the dog and fox are of her; they'll probably call it off. Either way, I want you down there no later than tonight to give Yusuke those orders. If he tries to put up too much of a fight you can send him here and I'll talk to him myself. Make mention that if he goes against me this time, I'll press Spirit World charges against him and he'll be working directly for me again for a very long time."

Botan nodded and quickly left the office to get ready to go to the Human World. Koenma slumped down in his large chair with his nerves now thoroughly shot.

Bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relieve the building pressure, he thought aloud, "I'm going to have to go talk to Fate one of these days…her plans are usually far too twisted for my liking."

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Shippo stepped out of the elevator, still carrying Kagome, after a relatively silent ride. The top floor of the fifty-story building was divided down the center by hallway that he now walked through. The right side of the floor was where Kagome called home. It had the layout of a normal home; master bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, as well as a guest room or two, several bathrooms, and an office. The other half of the floor was almost its mirror image, though it was left vacant much of the time. It was only used for friends and close acquaintances passing through. Shippo didn't like the thought of all the upkeep that a home required and was quite happy taking up residence in one of the hotel's many suites.

"I can walk, you know…I'm not an invalid," Kagome grumbled.

"True," the perturbed fox demon replied. "But the quicker I get you home and get that leg taken care of, the quicker I can get back to my work-out. One must always look their best, Kagome," he said with a cocky smirk.

Kagome did the best version of a growl that she could muster as she yanked the dark glasses from her face to glare at man who had once been like a son to her. Now that he was older, their relationship had morphed into something new. Now instead of a child that ran to her for protection and comfort, he was like the overly protective big brother that liked to tease her and ruffle her feathers. "Girls don't like guys who are pretty and know it, you jerk. When your ego gets too big to fit in your head it overflows and suffocates them. That makes you a health hazard, so put me down!"

"Fine," he relented coolly before moving both arms out from under her form. Kagome immediately let out a squeak and wrapped her arms firmly around his shoulders to keep from falling. Catching her again before she could hit the ground. "That's what I thought," he teased which resulted in a firm smack against his chest. "We're here; give me your key so I can open the door."

Fishing the key from her back pocket, Kagome begrudgingly forked over the small piece of metal before being shifted and cradled into only one of Shippo's arms. She felt like an idiot for being carried around like a child, but she was almost home and would soon be left to her own devices once again. When the door was shut behind them Kagome called out, "Wait, I need to get my other glasses."

Kagome gently folded her black glasses and placed them on a small shelf next to the front door as she picked up a pair of what looked to be reading glasses with delicate silver framing. Sliding them into place and adjusting them to their proper spot on the bridge of her nose, Kagome smiled as she looked at a much clearer image of the red head holding her. "Much better!"

Shippo rolled his eyes as he said, "I've never seen a girl so happy about having to wear glasses before. You know what they say: guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses."

"Like you and Sesshoumaru let any guys get close enough to try anyway," she mumbled turning her head away from him.

"I heard that, you know," Shippo told her before unceremoniously dropping her onto her plush, black micro-suede sectional couch in the living room. "And you know that there's a good reason for that, Kagome. That's why you can't have anything to do with those guys who brought you back today," he said as he left to get some first-aid supplies from the hallway bathroom.

"What?! You can't do that, Shippo! They helped me and it's only right that I repay them. Besides, they were really nice to be around. I want to have normal friends again…" she trailed off.

"I never said that they couldn't still have dinner here. I'll call and say that they're still welcome as a show of gratitude, but that you regrettably won't be able to join them for some reason or another. And you do have friends," Shippo reminded as he took out a bottle of rubbing alcohol to cleanse the long cut running down her shin.

"You and Sesshoumaru don't count! You two try to keep me holed up in this room and away from the world. Kouga's the only one who still treats me like he did in the past. Why can't I get to know people outside of you three??" She argued.

Shippo paused to release a sigh before wrapping most of Kagome's calf and shin in white gauze bandaging. "We've talked about this before, Kagome. With…whatever it is that your eyes do…it's dangerous for you. That's why you came to live with us in the first place, remember? After coming back to this time, you were only able to live with your family for a month before it got to be too much for you."

"But the four that helped me earlier…they're mostly demons. It would be okay with them, right? You know it doesn't work the same way as it does with humans."

"But we don't know them. If they ever found out—and don't argue that they wouldn't because I know you, Kagome. When you start getting close to someone you put everything out on your sleeve. If they ever found out what you can do they could take you away and use you as some kind of tool for their own benefit," Shippo explained as he tied the bandage off behind her knee. Reaching out to envelop the small woman in front of him in a hug, Shippo continued, "I can't let anyone do that to you. I couldn't protect you when I was younger, Kagome. But now I can, and I will."

Kagome was torn in her emotions. She knew that Shippo was only worried about her and that made her want to cave to his touching speech. But something about his words sparked a fire deep down. "Then why do you let Sesshoumaru do this to me?" She asked quietly.

"What?" He questioned as he pulled away from her and held her by the shoulders at arm's length.

"You and I both know that's exactly why Sesshoumaru keeps me hidden away from the rest of the world. He and I tolerate each other because our partnership benefits us both. But I don't see why I can't have personal contact with anyone outside of our old group! I'm going crazy up here by myself, Shippo! You used to protect me from Inuyasha's protective side; why don't you stand up to Sesshoumaru like that??"

"Because he's the one that raised me after you had to leave—as per your request, might I add—and he trained me for centuries so that I would be strong enough to protect you when the time came. He told me why we would need to protect you and I agree with him. You're too free with your emotions to be trusted with your own well-being while you have this power—!" But he was cut off in his outburst when he suddenly found his head facing left and felt the skin of his right cheek stinging.

Kagome's normally icy-blue eyes darkened to a foggy grey color as tears gathered at the corners and she clenched her jaw. "He brainwashed you, Shippo. You're just another dog in the pack to him now. Come back when you find that kit you used to be five centuries ago. He never would have said what you just said to me. Until then I'd rather be left alone," she said in a quiet voice as she stood to limp back to her bedroom.

Shiro stood beside her and pressed his nose to her stomach as he let out a soft whine in a rare show of affection and comfort. "It's okay, boy. I'm just going to go lie down for a while. Show Shippo to the door, okay?" Kagome had to let out a small laugh when she saw her companion's eyes instantly light up and his ears twitch excitedly. She shook her head as she watched him trot towards Shippo with his tail wagging back and forth. _'My dog's a sadist,'_ she thought dryly before continuing on her way to her comfy bed.

Shippo watched warily as the large dog stalked towards him with a certain malicious glee clearly visible in his golden eyes. "Alright you devil-spawned hell-beast, I'm going. I don't want any trouble from you." He wasn't scared of Shiro, but the powerful animal had long ago proved that he was trouble. Kouga's experimental breeding between domestic canines and the demonic wolves from his pack had eventually resulted in the birth of the sadistic and cunning ball of white fluff that Shippo was sure existed to make his life a living Hell. Shiro had proven time and again that he was fiercely loyal to Kagome and Kouga…and only Kagome and Kouga.

Walking to the door, Shippo kept one eye on the dog that surprisingly enough hadn't made a move on him yet. He began to grow foolishly hopeful about leaving unscathed this time as he drew closer to the exit, and was practically grinning like an idiot as he made it past the threshold. But a quick jerking feeling and the tell-tale ripping of fabric had Shippo glaring at the beast that now had almost half of one of his pants legs in his mouth with a smug look gracing his muzzle.

"Why you—" he started towards the door again only for it to be firmly shut in his face by one of Shiro's hind legs.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Thirty minutes and a new pair of pants later found Shippo in the hotel lobby picking up a few messages from the front desk along with Yusuke Urameshi's contact information. Heading back up to his room, Shippo felt a pang of guilt in his stomach from what he was about to do.

He didn't like keeping Kagome cooped up and knew that she was right on some points. It was in her nature to be social and make friends. Her warm personality and magnetic smiles made it almost impossible to stay away from her. But that was why she had to be kept away from others. Too many people were naturally drawn to her. It would only cause her grief and pain in the end, so it was for her own good. At least, that's what he told himself.

Was she right? Had Sesshoumaru spent years conditioning him to think this way so that he could use her gift? Shippo honestly wouldn't put it past him, but something told him that he cared for the woman more than he wanted others to think. Sesshoumaru had an odd way of showing affection, but after living with him for several centuries you learned to pick up the signs.

When he was younger, Shippo hated the great Demon Lord of the West for the way he treated his surrogate mother during her greatest time of weakness.

After finding out that Kagome had lost her sight in the final battle it had been suggested that she return to her time immediately and live the remainder of her life there under the care and supervision of her family. The Feudal Era of Japan was a very dangerous time with bandits and demons roaming the countryside looking for easy prey. But Sesshoumaru had forbidden it.

Using his loss of an arm as his prime example, he had basically told her that life gives you a handicap it became your responsibility to learn to live with it and adjust. He had told her having others care for her for the rest of her life just because she could no longer see was weak and dishonorable to someone of her station.

After several discussions it was agreed that it would be best for Kagome to stay in their presence until she could learn to survive on her own and Inuyasha had gone to inform her family on the other side of the well.

Shippo's fists clenched as he thought about her first week of living as such. She was scared and would often cry for hours. Shippo had been too young to do much at the time other than comfort her when Sesshoumaru wasn't looking. It had broken her heart that Inuyasha, her protector and first love, had more-or-less exiled himself from her. He had later explained to Shippo that the amount of guilt he felt for her current state wouldn't allow him to be around her. Miroku and Sango went about teaching her how to live again. Miroku helped her develop her holy powers more so that she could use them as an extra sense to at least tell when someone was near and who they were. Sango taught her how to do basic actions without sight. Apparently Sango had trained with a blindfold for a period of time while becoming a demon slayer and had a basic idea of how to function without sight.

But Sesshoumaru had been the one to push her mentally and emotionally to cope with her new life. When she would fall or run into things he wouldn't allow anyone to help her up or guide her. He had been the hard hand that she needed to pick herself and try again.

It had taken nearly two years of constant pushing and training but the day finally came when she could walk confidently with her head held high and was able to completely care for herself. But in an ironic twist of fate, it was only a few months after her two year mark of being completely blind that she began to be able to make out dull, blurry colors.

It appeared as though whatever damage had been dealt to her eyes wasn't permanent and she would eventually heal. Sango was pregnant with her and Miroku's first child and Kagome wanted to stay long enough to at least see a blurry outline of her friend's first born. She had gone back to see her family a few times during Sango's pregnancy, but lived in the past for the most part.

By the time the baby was born, Kagome was starting to make out vague facial features. And then it had started. Kagome had been holding the new baby girl named Saya when she had suddenly screamed and nearly dropped the child.

When asked what had happened she could only cry as she recounted what had seemed like a waking dream. She had seen Sango trying to wake the baby one morning only for Saya to be completely unresponsive. Everyone had thought it was odd and was more cautious for several days but it was then brushed off as the stress of Kagome regaining sight. But only one week later, the event that Kagome had seen came to fruition. She explained that it could be, what is called in her time, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Sango had become distraught and refused to try to have more children for several years.

But Kagome wasn't around to see the other children that her friends had. As time went on, her power to see a person's future became more defined. They quickly discovered that it only happened if she made direct eye contact with a person. And for some reason it didn't seem to work on animals.

One day Kagome had simply informed them that she was returning to her time and wouldn't be coming back. It hurt her not to be able to look at her friends while carrying on a conversation or even give them a passing glance. She was gone from their lives two days later and it was five hundred years before Shippo saw her again.

He and Sesshoumaru had been waiting for her to return when she came through the well on her family's shrine. She had insisted on living with her family and at least trying to have a normal life, but that plan hadn't lasted very long. It had only taken one month before she had called him with her bags already packed and asked him to come pick her up.

Sesshoumaru paid for a private tutor so that she could finish her last year or so of high school and then he had enrolled her in an online school so that she didn't have to attend a crowded campus. Within a few short years she had earned her degree and had been running the hotel and living mostly in solitude ever since.

Shippo smiled as he thought about the day that Kouga had shown up at her door with a puppy Shiro. He had looked innocent enough back then, but it had only belied his true nature as Shippo found out all too soon. But Kagome had been ecstatic at having constant company and if putting up with a little abuse from a dog that was too smart for his own good was what it took to see her smile and laugh then he would gladly sacrifice many more pairs of pants to the hybrid.

Arriving in his suite, Shippo immediately went to his desk and picked up the telephone receiver. He quickly dialed the number on the sheet of paper that he had picked up and waited through several rings before he was sent to voicemail. "Mr. Urameshi, this is Shippo Yamata. I was calling to inform you that you and your guests are still welcome to dine at one of the restaurants within the hotel this evening on the house with my gratitude for helping my partner earlier. However I am afraid that Kagome is a very busy woman and is feeling under par due to stress. She will not be able to join you but sends her thanks. Have a pleasant evening."

Shippo placed the receiver back on its cradle and let out a sigh as he rolled his eyes and looked towards his bed. "I hate being cordial…" He grumbled as he flopped back onto the soft mattress for a quick nap.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

When Kagome heard the door shut she stuck her head out of her bedroom and asked, "Is he gone?"

Her answer came in the form of Shiro happily placing a tattered pants leg at her feet.

Kagome dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the large dog that simply rested his head upon her shoulder. "You are the best dog ever!" She said with a laugh as she heard the swishing noises of Shiro's tail raking across the carpet. "Now for step two…" she said as she stood and retrieved her cell phone from her pocket.

She only needed to press one button before the other line was almost instantly answered. "Kouga! Are you near the hotel by any chance? I need you to do me a favor. We have a code _Rapunzel_ and—what do you mean _'what's that?'_?? The fair maiden has been locked in the tower!...Me, Kouga, I'm the fair maiden! You need to read more. Anyway, Shippo is probably going to be on guard for a while and I would be pushing it to leave the floor right now. Do you think you could go to the front desk and sneak a look at someone's contact information they left there? It would probably be with Shippo's messages for the day…… No, you have a little bit of time. He had just finished his work-out when I got back to the hotel so he'll want a shower before he does anything else…… Okay, I'll send Shiro down to help in about ten minutes… Thanks, I'll see you in a little bit!"

Hanging up her phone she turned to her faithful companion and asked, "Are you ready for a mission??"

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Ten minutes after Kagome's phone call ended, a man looking to be about twenty-seven strolled through the front doors of the acclaimed hotel. He was a well known face within the building as their manager's confidant and associate. The women swooned every time they got a glimpse of him. His looks were exotic and masculine and caught the attention of many women. With a strong, defined jaw line, long ebony hair that was always swept into a high ponytail, sky blue eyes, sun-kissed skin, and a tall yet lean build, it was no wonder he was cocky. While women released their breathy sighs, the men simply rolled their eyes. Kouga was all they would hear about for the rest of the day.

"Hello ladies," Kouga's greeted in his rugged voice as he reached the front desk. "Is Kagome in today?"

"Why yes she is, Kouga," one of the receptionists answered with a quick flutter of her eyelashes. "Would you like for me to call her for you?"

He was about to answer when the woman he'd been talking to gave a small scream as something brushed her leg. Looking over the counter, he saw Shiro thumping his tail against the woman's leg. "Oh, how'd you get down here, boy?" Kouga was well aware of how to play this game by now. "I'll take him back up with me since I was heading that way anyway," he offered as he walked behind the counter.

Taking his cue, Shiro stood to place his massive paws on the desk, knocking a few things over in the process…one of which being Shippo's mail. "Looks like he still needs a little training," Kouga commented as he helped straighten things up. As he 'organized' the letters again he was sure to quickly memorize the phone number scrawled on a piece of paper before placing everything back and grabbing Shiro's collar. "Come on you big klutz, I'll see you later ladies!"

As they neared the elevator, Kouga looked down at the canine that he had given Kagome a few years prior and said with a smirk, "You're getting pretty good at that."

Shiro began to posture slightly as he wagged his fluffy tail at the praise. He and his alpha male rode the elevator, a device that neither was very comfortable in, in silence and both rushed to exit when the doors opened on their floor.

They strode forward and Kouga knocked on the door before turning the handle and walking in. "Kagome! I got that phone number you wanted!" He called into the seemingly empty home.

"I'm in my office Kouga!"

Walking down a couple of hallways, Kouga stepped into Kagome's in-home office to see her in front of her computer monitor with her legs pulled up into the chair. "Talking to someone?" He asked as she moved to stand behind her.

On the screen was a young man that Kouga immediately recognized at Kagome's younger brother. "Souta! How's school, kid?"

"It's going okay," the twenty-year-old answered via webcam and microphone. "It's tough being away from home again with classes and everything, but I'm dealing with it. I haven't picked a major yet, but I'm not in a big hurry."

"That's fine, Souta. Take your time," Kagome advised. Her brother had grown up quickly and she had missed a large part of it. He wasn't the elementary student that he had been when she started her journey in the past. As he aged their family resemblance became more defined and they both took after their mother. The only difference was that Kagome had gotten their father's blue eyes.

"Well since you have company now, I'll let you go, Sis," he said with a smile. "I have a paper I need to get started on anyway. I'll talk to you later. Love you." And with a wave and a smile, the screen went blank.

"It's good you found a way to keep in touch other than phone calls," Kouga told her as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. When they theorized that her power only worked with direct eye contact they had experimented with cameras and mirrors and such. Their hypothesis had proven correct every time and now Kagome's brother and mother both had cameras set up in their homes so that they could communicate a little more personally.

"I know. It's still hard not being able to see them like I used to though…" she trailed off as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "So," she began again with a wide smile, "you got the phone number?"

With a scheming grin, Kouga quickly scribbled the numbers down on a piece of paper and slid it across the desk to Kagome.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Yusuke had just listened to the message left on his cell phone by Shippo and cursed as he deleted it, "Damn." He had just gotten out of the shower and immediately checked his messages, but this wasn't the news that he wanted.

"What's wrong, Yusuke?" His fiancé, Keiko, called from the living room. She made her way to their bedroom and wrapped her arms around her intended's waist.

Yusuke turned to face her and couldn't help but smile. She was hard to deal with sometimes, but he knew that he was probably worse. Sometimes he still couldn't believe that she'd said "yes" to him, but wasn't about to question it. Keiko had let her brown hair grow out again and was down to her shoulder blades. He always liked the way long hair made her doe-brown eyes stand out more.

"Well I was waiting to tell you until I got this call, but we were invited out to dinner tonight as a 'thank you' from someone me and the guys helped out today."

"Where did they want to eat?"

"They said we could pick one of the restaurants in that big hotel downtown. What's the name of it?" Yusuke never paid much attention to things like that, but he knew Keiko did.

"Hotel Soudai?? Are you sure, Yusuke? That's a really nice hotel and I heard it can be pretty expensive."

"Well it turns out that the woman we helped is the manager of the place. I think you'd like her so I was looking forward to the two of you meeting. But her co-manager called while I was in the shower and said she wouldn't be able to make it. What do you think? We can still go if you want." Thinking for a moment Yusuke added, "I should probably call Kurama first though."

"Okay," she said as she smiled up at him. "Since it's pretty much a reward dinner for you guys, I'll let you decide what to do this time."

Keiko had just left the room when his phone began to ring once again. "Hello?" he answered.

"Is this Yusuke Urameshi?" A feminine voice came from the other side of the line.

"Yeah, who's this?" He hadn't recognized the number and it made him wonder who had gotten his name and number.

"This is Kagome Higurashi. I was calling about dinner tonight," the voice answered.

"Oh, hi Kagome. That Yamata guy called a little while ago and said that you were busy and weren't feeling so great. It's fine if you want to call the thing off—" but he didn't get a chance to finish the thought before he was interrupted.

"No, no, no! That's not why I'm calling. I just wanted to talk about the time. Shippo was right that I'm a little busy, but I'll be finished up later this evening. But by then the restaurants will be closed and I don't want to make them stay open just for me. I was thinking that we could all relocate to my home on the top floor. I have plenty of room and it would be a more private and comfortable place to become friends. How does that sound?"

"I don't have a problem with it. What time were you thinking?" He questioned.

"Maybe ten o'clock or so? Is that too late?" He noticed that she sounded a little nervous.

"Nah, we're a bunch of night people anyway, so ten sounds perfect." This was great! Keiko would get to meet Kagome and they'd get to find out more about the strange woman. Now he just had to call Kurama and let everyone else know.

"I think I'm going to have one of the restaurants cater our little dinner party. Is there anything in particular that you and your friends like?"

"We'll eat whatever you put in front of us, Kagome," he answered with a laugh. "But it's probably the usual; the guys like meat, the girls like salad, all that jazz."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh. Yusuke was someone she could see herself getting along with very well. "Okay then. I'll see you in a few hours. I'll leave a message at the desk to give you a key for the top floor. Since it's private all you have to do is insert the key to the level selection panel, turn it to the right, and you'll be able to press the button for my floor. I'm looking forward to it. Oh, and since it's at my place, feel free to wear whatever you want. I want everyone to be comfortable. Until then!"

"Yeah, see you." Yusuke answered before he hung up the phone. "Hey Keiko! Small change in plans!" Yusuke called as he walked out of their bedroom to tell her the plan.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

"Alright Yusuke, we'll meet you there," Kurama said before hanging up the phone. "Will you be attending the dinner as well, Hiei?"

Hiei merely glared at the phone that Kurama had just placed on the coffee table.

"Hiei? What's the matter? Did you find out anything after you left earlier?" Kurama questioned. He could feel the fox in him coming out with his curious nature. All of this presented a fantastic puzzle, and it was one that he was determined to solve.

"Hn…that woman is associated with too many high class demons. I investigated a few places around the Demon World."

"Did you find any leads?"

With a smirk Hiei questioned, "Doesn't the name Sesshoumaru ring any bells in that little fox brain of yours? Think of high ranking demons…very old ones by today's standards."

Kurama's brow knit together and he went over some of the influential beings in the Demon World. _'Yomi, Mukuro, Enki, who am I forgetting? Hiei mentioned Sesshoumaru…the dog demon? Lord of the West?'_

_'Finally got it? I'm surprised it took you that long, Kurama. You're slipping,'_ Hiei said within Kurama's mind.

"When we're alone I'll thank you not to invade my mind, Hiei. But are you sure they're the same person? I highly doubt that Koenma would allow someone like him into this world."

"Have you heard anything from Koenma or Botan since you called?" Hiei questioned.

"No, but I expect to see Botan this evening. She should have answers for us then. So are you coming with us or not?" Kurama asked once more.

Hiei remained quiet for some time before finally saying, "I will be there, but only you will know of it."

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O **

"There!" Kagome exclaimed as she threw her dust rag into her laundry basket. "Everything's all clean and organized. Now it's time for a shower. Are you staying for dinner, Kouga?"

"I guess I could. I'm interested in meeting these guys now. You know I don't mind you having other friends, but I need to give them the okay first…especially if they're guys," he joked with a wink.

Kagome simply rolled her eyes and made her way towards her bathroom. A hot shower was exactly what she needed right now. Truth be told, after finishing some paperwork, working out and placing the food orders for the evening, and cleaning house all Kagome really wanted was a soothing bubble bath. But time was running short now and she needed the convenience of a quick shower.

It didn't take long to get squeaky clean again, and as she toweled off Kagome made sure to be careful not to open the cut on her leg. _'I hope that doesn't scar,'_ she thought as she really looked at it for the first time that day. It ran down her shin from just under her kneecap to about five or six inches above her ankle. She noted that it was red around the edges and a little swollen. "I'll use some peroxide to make sure an infection doesn't set in," the thought aloud as she searched through her medicine cabinet.

Pouring the cold liquid down her leg, Kagome watched as the white bubbles foamed along the red line marring her skin. "Bye-bye germs!" She said as she waved at the cut. When she was finished looking around to make sure Kouga hadn't heard her talking to her leg, Kagome took out some clean bandaging and wrapped her leg once more. She ran a brush through her damp hair and twisted it up to loosely pin it down with a clip.

She walked to her room a slipped on a pair of carnation pink panties with a matching bra followed by a pair of her loose, black cotton pants and a crisp, white button-down shirt. Walking back into the living room she found Kouga channel surfing on the couch and Shiro right beside him. She walked to stand directly in front of the TV before asking, "Well how do I look?"

"I'm no good at this game, Kagome." Kouga answered with a groan. "You look stunning as always. You trying to impress someone?"

"Well I've only met four of the people coming over tonight. They're bringing some guests and I want to make a good impression," she reasoned before adding under her breath, "and a couple of them might be sort of cute…I guess."

Shiro growled low as Kouga laughed before saying, "You're gonna have to learn to talk lower than that if you don't want us to hear you!"

With a light blush staining her cheeks, Kagome tried to clear her throat and think of a topic change. "Did they bring the food and drinks yet?"

"Yeah, some of it's on the table in the dining room already. I put the rest in your refrigerator."

"Thanks…now let's see. What am I forgetting? Cleaned the house, took a shower, got the food, can you think of anything??"

"If you're playing blind chick tonight you might want to put your other glasses on," he reminded without tearing his eyes away from the baseball game he'd found.

"That would be helpful," she said as she placed her reading glasses on her little shelf and retrieving her "blind" glasses. "I don't want any of those nasty premonitions getting in the way of a pleasant evening with friends. It would only prove Shippo and Sesshoumaru right, and I refuse to let that happen."

Glancing over at his long-time friend and love interest, Kouga debated on asking his next question. "Hey Kagome, whatever happened to you using that gift of yours to help people? I thought you were gonna try to change the world one horrible fate at a time."

Kagome stiffened slightly at the reminder of her previous naïve ambition. "I'll tell you what Kouga, when you see your friends, loved ones, and strangers dying in horrible ways every time you look them in the eyes, tell me what you would want to do."

_'Damn…'_ he thought as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Kagome, you know I didn't mean any—" but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"They're here! Remember to try and be sociable…_both_ of you," she added while giving her dog a pointed look over the tops of her dark glasses.

Opening the door wide, Kagome smiled brightly as she stepped aside and said, "Welcome!"

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

Ten o'clock found Yusuke and Keiko walking up to the front doors of Hotel Soudai to meet Kuwabara who was standing with his sister, Shizuru, and love interest, Yukina. "Hey guys," Yusuke greeted with a casual wave. "Where are Kurama and Hiei?"

Kuwabara shrugged, "Kurama's usually early anywhere we go. Do you really think that Hiei will even bother showing up?"

"I'm sure he'll be around eventually," Yusuke said as he spared a glance at Yukina. With her turquoise hair and scarlet eyes she was bound to stand out anywhere she went in the city, but she was getting more attention than Yusuke was comfortable with in the hotel. He wondered how Kagome would react to the quiet young woman.

Yusuke saw Kurama arrive with a slightly nervous Botan and waved to both before going to the counter to get the key that Kagome had mentioned.

Botan tugged on Kurama's sleeve for the millionth time since finding him walking down the street. "I really need to talk to you and Yusuke before we get to Kagome's home," she stressed quietly.

Kurama noticed that Botan kept looking around the lobby as though looking for someone. "About what? Does it have something to do with what I contacted you about earlier?"

"Yes!" She said in a strained whisper. "It has everything to do with what you asked about."

Kurama was about to ask what she meant when Yusuke came up behind the reaper and started pushing her back to make her hurry up. "Come on you two, you're holding everyone up. You can talk later."

"B-b-but Yusuke—!" Botan stuttered as she was pushed into the elevator.

When they made it to the top floor, Botan made sure she had a firm hold on both Yusuke's and Kurama's wrists to hold them towards the back end of the hallway. "What the hell is going on, Botan?" Yusuke asked.

"Yusuke, there's a lot about Kagome that you can't know. I talked to Koenma and he said that you can't associate with this woman anymore…ever! He even went so far as to threaten you with charges if you break this order."

Yusuke was caught completely off guard by the statement as he looked to Kurama for some clarification. "Botan, does this have anything to do with who Kagome knows? With Sesshoumaru of the West?"

Botan's pink eyes became impossibly large and she was about to ask how he knew about who Kagome was protected by when they heard a door open further down the hallway and a cheerful voice followed, "Welcome!"

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

**AN:** Okay…sixteen pages in one day. That is officially a new record for me. With this length I'm sorry if there are any errors. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far for your encouragement! This was so much longer than I intended, but I just couldn't find a good place to stop. The next chapter will be the actual dinner and will have the first real bit of Kagome-Hiei interaction! I'll hopefully have that in the next day or two. I hope everyone enjoyed and comes back for more! Thanks for reading, until next time!


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